We propose a cohort study of youth that will integrate ethnography and survey discovery procedures. Our problem area is deviant behavior conceptualized as a process involving changes in levels of commitment to different types of action. We present a theoretical perspective which highlights what we see as four major components that are implicated in the dynamics of youthful deviance. They are (1) differential association, (2) authority relationships, (3) self-identities, and (4) deterrence concerns. Our design is longitudinal, focusing generally on the stage of early adolescence and, specifically, on the transition from elementary to junior high school. We contend that complementory naturalistic observation and time series survey data will provide a body of information on youth unprecedented in its ability to comprehend complex developmental changes during this period of the life cycle. We also contend that the proposed research will correct for the unwarranted scarcity of deviance research on early adolescents.